At times while one attempts to repair a PST file with the Inbox Repair Tool, it may not recognize the data file. In this article, we would look at three useful ways to fix the issue in a quick time.
The popularity of the MS Outlook application still holds strong today despite the advent of several competitors. Outlook users rely on this versatile application for an array of business communication and collaboration needs. For many small businesses, Outlook also doubles up as a repository of customer data and related information. However, Outlook despite its exceptional feature set tends to suffer from debilitating crashes and other errors that impact the underlying PST file. To deal with such issues of PST corruption, Microsoft packs the Inbox Repair Tool utility, with the Microsoft Office suite. However, in some cases, the Inbox Repair Tool may simply refuse to recognize the PST data file.
Key Causes Behind the Error “The Microsoft Outlook Inbox Repair Tool does not recognize the file”
The Inbox Repair Tool is designed to handle errors that get introduced in the Outlook PST data file. However, the tool is rather limited in capacity when it is called upon to deal with incidents of extensive corruption. In many cases when it cannot scan through a corrupted PST file, it simply fails to recognize the data file. In case you encounter such an issue, just try out the three useful ways listed below.
#1. Run a Professional Recovery Tool to Recover the Corrupted PST File
When the Inbox Repair Tool fails to recognize a compromised PST file, it clearly means that you are looking at a debilitating incident of data corruption. To deal with this issue you need to run a powerful recovery tool like DataNumen Outlook Repair. This sophisticated application can scan through the corrupted data file and extract all elements presents in it. All data including emails along with included images and even attachments are all transferred to an output file. Once the recovery process is complete, replace the original file with the output file.
#2. Bring the System to a Previous Working State Using System Restore
Microsoft Windows operating system includes a System Restore feature which is designed to roll back the system to a previous state. This helps users deal with any system errors and application failures that may have occurred. Perform the steps listed below to run System Restore
- From your desktop screen, head to the Windows Search Bar (Run Box) and type in System Restore
- Next launch the Recovery Control Panel
- From the Advanced recovery tools options, choose Open System Restore
- Choose a Restore Point date when Outlook was working without any hassles and follow the instructions that appear on the screen to complete the roll-back process.
#3. Replace the PST Data Files with a Backup PST File
Many Outlook users tend to regularly backup their PST data files. Now if you already have a previously backed up copy of the PST data file, you can use it to replace the original PST file. As a matter of abundant caution, make sure you back up a copy of the current PST file that you plan to replace. Now perform the steps listed below:
- Launch the Outlook application
- Go to the File tab and head to Account Settings under the Info tab
- Next click on Account Settings from the drop-down options
- Head to the Data Files tab and find out the location of the existing PST file
- Use Windows Explorer (File Explorer in Windows 10) to open the folder location of the PST file and move it to a different place.
- Now place the backup file in its place
You can also visit the Microsoft support site to get more information about the location of the PST file path. Of course, if your backup PST file is also corrupt due to damaged storage media, then you need to use a professional Outlook repair tool to repair it again before it can work properly.